The Montana Army National Guard is embedded in communities throughout Montana. The following five events give athletes around Montana the opportunity to measure strength, endurance and speed, as well as give college scouts a chance to look at unbiased numbers to help them in search of their future athletes.

40- Yard DashThe 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the combine. It's kind of like the 100-meters at the Olympics: It's all about speed, explosion and watching skilled athletes run great times. What the scouts are looking for is an explosion from a static start.

Bench PressThe bench press is a test of strength -- 185 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the College scouts are also looking for is endurance. Anybody can do a max one time, but what the bench press tells the college scouts is how often the athlete frequented his high school weight room for the last 4 years.

Vertical jumpThe vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches is his vertical jump measurement.

Broad JumpThe broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. Basically, it is testing an athlete's lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can. It tests explosion and balance, because he has to land without moving.

Shuttle RunThe short shuttle is the first of the cone drills. It is known as the 5-10-5. What it tests is the athlete's lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. The athlete starts in the three-point stance, explodes out 5 yards to his right, touches the line, goes back 10 yards to his left, left hand touches the line, pivot, and he turns 5 more yards and finishes.